Many types of batting training devices have been developed to help build an athlete's muscle groups to increase strength, bat speed, and stamina as well as improve technique for overall performance. While all of these aspects are necessary to increase an athlete's ability it is also important to recognize the differences and similarities in the swing motion of baseball, softball, tennis, golf; and hockey. They all require a swinging motion using implements such as bats, rackets, clubs or sticks to propel a ball or puck.
For purposes of describing and illustrating this invention, the discussion below will focus on baseball and softball and the athletes who wish to develop, practice and enhance their batting skills. However, this description and illustration is not intended to be limiting, and those familiar with the aforementioned sports and activities will recognize that the device described herein can be adapted to developing strength and coordination while swinging the appropriate implements in their respective sport or activity. Accordingly, any references herein to baseball, batting, batting practice, or other sporting activities are intended to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.
Any references to “practice” and “exercise” used herein are to describe the physical motion and activities necessary for the strengthening and coordination of various muscle groups. As an example batting practice using the machine disclosed herein will help develop and strengthen an athlete's core muscles in the abdomen and legs, as well as numerous muscles in the arms, shoulders, and chest. Core strength is defined by development of the muscles forming around the trunk of the body including the abdominal, oblique (sides), mid and lower back.
It is very important when practicing the swing motion to have precise positional control of the swing path throughout the swing motion. This control substantially increases the muscle memory and strength required for the legs and upper body to work in coordination while performing the entire swing motion correctly. In addition, performing repeated practice of the correct swing motion will substantially improve the performance of all levels of athletes. Although in most sports or activities the ball or puck is not always in the same position, causing the swing plane to change. This should not affect the swing motion of the core muscles of the athlete, only the plane at which the implement is swung.
In any such sport the implement being swung moves in a swing path that may not always be on the same plane, pivot point or axis. This path generally approximates a centrifugal arc necessary for the striking portion of the bat, racket, club or stick to strike the ball or puck with the desired contact point.
With regard to batting practice for baseball and softball players, there are three main categories of exercise and practice devices that have been developed. One category includes pitching machines and ball striking devices which focus on striking the ball with the bat. Pitching machines typically throw a ball somewhat consistently in a specific pathway for a batter to attempt to hit. Other ball striking devices consist of various types of “soft toss” machines which lob the ball into the hitting zone pathway, various types of tethered balls, and batting tees. Another category is unusually heavy bats and various designs of bat weights which have proven to be very beneficial for the batter while performing swing motions to loosen up or warm up their muscles. The obvious purpose of swinging a heavy or weighted bat is to give the batter the feeling that their own bat is much lighter in contrast so that the batter could have a faster swing or a “quick bat” as the term is used. The third category consists of various types of complicated cable-and-pulley systems which provide controlled resistive forces as to build a batters muscle groups and core strength.
As all of the aforementioned devices are useful, some of them are also necessary for use in common practice of batters to improve their performance. However, none of the devices currently available focus on resistance with precise positional control which is necessary for a batter to practice correct technique.
Throughout the history of sports, coaches and organizations have relied on generalized exercise that consists of calisthenics, running and free weight training to improve an athlete's abilities. All of these help to increase the strength and stamina of an athlete, but it is also essential to transfer these improvements to the sport of interest and to run through the fundamentals needed to play the game. Newer techniques of concurrent training have been used in an attempt to add resistance and/or inertia to the athletic activity that one is attempting to improve. An example of this type of training is used by sprinters attaching parachutes to their waists which provide resistance as they run. Similarly there are also elastic bands, weighted sleds and other devices including weighted vests and ankle weights.